Cut Scores

WY-TOPP

From July 10–12, 2018, AIR facilitated standard-setting workshops for grades 3-10 in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics and for grade 10 in science. The 84-member panel was composed of Wyoming teachers, curriculum specialists, education administrators, and other stakeholders. The members were selected from large and small Wyoming school districts, ensuring diverse perspectives throughout the standard-setting process. The panelists used the ‘Bookmark Method’, the most common procedure used throughout the country and for previous Wyoming assessments. Panelists were given a booklet of items ordered by level of difficulty. During the process, the panelists referenced the Wyoming College and Career Readiness Standards, the Performance-Level Descriptors (PLDs), and student performance data from the 2018 WY-TOPP Summative Assessment. The panelists bookmarked items representative of minimum performance of Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. There were multiple rounds of bookmarks and resolution during the three-day workshop. The cut scores are used to determine the four performance levels – Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced.